pretzels vs chips

Learn more about the healthiness of pretzels and chips. Also included are some options for making healthy snack choices

Snacks are so confusing. It can be really hard to tell which ones are actually healthy and which one are healthy impostors. While I believe that it is important to eat all the foods you enjoy and not to stress about eating the "healthy" foods only, I think that everyone should be informed when making their decisions around food.

It bothers me when certain foods are villainized or when they are given a health halo. In the past, chips have been labels as very bad for you because they are fried potatoes, and pretzels have been labeled as healthy because they are brown and low fat.

This post aims to break down those stereotypes regarding snacks to help you decide what will make your body feel its best while also making your tastebuds happy.

The Dilemma:

Pretzels seem to be one of those foods that are considered "healthy" because they are fat-free and are a brown color, so they must be healthy right?!

What about chips? They are usually fried and have a lot of fat & generally more calories than pretzels. But now chips are being labeled as "all-natural" and "gluten-free."

So what is a better choice?

Answer:

A balanced snack includes a combo of carbohydrate and protein. For example:

• pita chips (carb) and hummus (protein + carb)
• crackers and cheese
• fruit and yogurt
• chips and dip 
• smoothies (fruit is carb and yogurt/protein powder/chia seeds are protein)

By themselves, pretzels or pita chips are not your best option for a nutritious snack (unless they are 100% whole grain).

The majority of pretzels and pita chips are not whole grain. Being brown or saying "wheat" on the label does not mean they are whole grain. Unless the first ingredient is whole wheat or whole grain flour, they are not whole grain.

In general, pretzels are made with enriched {read: stripped of nutrients} flour. They have little to no protein . They also are usually fat free, which we used to think was a good thing, but now we know you need some healthy fat.

They are loaded with salt (we're talking almost 20% of your daily limit in one serving) which can be detrimental if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or have been advised by your health care provider to limit your sodium intake.

When eaten alone, pretzels made with mostly white flour & salt will likely spike your blood sugar with the simple carbs which will then leave you feeling hungry shortly after.

On the other hand, chips aren't super nutritious. They're usually fried and are full of fat and calories. But at least they are made from an actual food {potato}, not just white flour...

If you want chips, there's no need to eat ones that taste like salty cardboard, are hard to find, or cost $6 a bag for 3 servings.

Some of my favorite baked or healthier versions of chips include:

• Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips
• Kettle Brand Reduced Fat Potato Chips
• Laurel Hill Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat
• Cape Cod Reduced Fat Potato Chips
• or make your own

Here are some other salty snack alternatives to chips and pretzels {most of these have more protein to help fight hunger}:

• Vegetable Chips {made from real vegetables - like Terra}
• Snapea Crisps {one of my favorites!}
• Lentil Chips
• Beanitos

Bottom Line:

Jump out of the 90's thinking that fat-free pretzels are "healthy" and make more informed choices for snack.

Protein + carbohydrates in your snacks to keep you full and satisfied for longer than an hour.